Look Inside: Exterminators Show Method of Treating Bed Bugs

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Bed bugs are hard to spot, but if you know what to look for, you can treat your home before it gets out of hand.

The parasitic insects have made a big comeback recently, mostly because we're traveling more.

Since the old method of controlling the bugs was banned decades ago as being too toxic, pest professionals have new ways to treat the spread of these small bugs.

"You can see where the bed bugs have been," says Ivan Eftink with Bug Zero Professional Pest Services. "The mattress the owner of the home was sleeping on the bed bugs would retreat in seams."

They hide out everywhere.

"They might be around these door frames," says Eftink. "They can be under the smoke detector and under the baseboard around that window frame. The television and nightstand all that is fair game."

You may not see them or feel their bites, but after they feed on humans' blood you can't miss them.

"An adult bed bug is about the size of an apple seed," adds Eftink. "They start out very tiny -- much bigger than a pin head and they're clear until they've had their first meal and then they are full of blood and become darker in color."

Since bed bugs are hard to find, he uses heat to lure them out, raising the temperature of the room slowly to 135 degrees.

"The heat itself kills every bed bug. It kills them quickly. We do it in one trip so by noon today this house will be bug free," said Eftink.

Eftink says the risk of someone encountering bed bugs increases in places with a high turnover of guests like hotels, but says if you travel smart you have a better chance of not carrying them home.

"When you travel and before you unpack and settle into a hotel room, pull the sheets back and examine the mattress."

If you suspect bed bugs in your home but can't seem to find them, health professionals say take a look at your skin.

"Some people have more of an allergic reaction to the bite site than others and sometimes the bites don't show up for a day or two," says Karen Prescott with the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.

So if you think these pests have made it into your home, treat them right away and don't let the bed bugs bite.

Health officials say the itchy red bites usually disappear in a few weeks and skin creams may help. Once your symptoms are treated, washing clothes and bedding in hot water will help to eliminate bed bugs as can calling in professionals especially if you have a bad infestation.